Full fashioned knitting machine



-.May 21,1940. H w E 2,201,136

FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINE I Filed July 16, 19:57 a Sheets-Sheet 1 x me Jiqwje,

May 21,1940. New 2,20 3 N FULL FASHIONED KNITTING- MACHINE Filed July 16, 1937 Sheets-Sheet 2 o o I E I m 3 I/I/I/I/I/ JJIJJIJZZZZIB E29 mmuuuuuu WUUWWWWUU WU UWWUWWW N K. HOWIE FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINE May 21, 1940.

Filed July 16, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Kenneth Jiojl;

Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED sr x l'rlazs FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINE Kenneth Howie, Norristown, Pa., assignor to.

Wildman Mtg. (30., Norrlstown, Pa., a corporatlon of Pennsylvania Application July 16, 1937, Serial No. 154,104

- 4 Claims. This invention relates to fashioning knitting machines and particularly to the mechanism for,

produced in one continuous operation, though the invention is not limited in this respect.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l. is a front view of the needle bar, the narrowing points and associated mechanism.

Fig, 2 is a front elevation of a narrowing block. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the narrowing block shown in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are rear elevations of the narrowing blocks in operating position.

Fig. 6 is a view of mechanism for giving the front and back screw threaded shafts forward and backward movements for narrowing and widening, the front shaft adjusting the transfer point blocks, and the back shaft adjusting yarn carner stops.

Figs. '7 and 8 are detail views relating to Fig. 6. The narrowing mechanism is indicated generally at I80 in Fig. 1. It includes the opposite threads I85, I86 on a front shaft Mb controlled by a gearing I87 as in the said patent to Howie and Krieble, and need not therefore be more particularly described. In the said patent there are shown narrowing or widening blocks which cor- 40 respond tothe blocks I89, I89 shown herein in Fig. l. The said blocks are internally threaded so as to be operated by the screw threads I 85, I86. In addition to what is just referred to in said patent, I have here provided supplemental blocks I90, I9I, which are supported upon the said threads I85, I86, but are not themselves Internally threaded, so that they are not, by any threaded engagement with the said threads I85, I96, moved thereby. a The respective blocks I88, I90 and I89, I9I act as two units during the narrowings at the leg, namely, at the flare and at the calf, and also in the sole narrowings, and they also act as widening instrumentalities in knitting the heel portions. In knitting the toe narrowings however,

single-head machine of the TW type, though itcomplete stocking blank, the leg and foot being I provide for a relative movement of the two parts of each of said units. This is done by the following mechanism.

A bar I92 forming a part of the narrowing organizaiton and extending transversely thereof, is 5 provided at two points near midwldth of the blank with like plates or cam elements I93, one of which is shown in Fig. 5, and the other of which is employed in connection with the other narrowing block unit. Each said plate is adjustably secured by screw and slot construction I94 to the said bar I 92. There is provided at each narrowing block unit a lever I95 pivoted at I95 and having an end I9I adapted at the commencement of the toe narrowing to ride under the 15 corresponding plate I93 and elevate its opposite hooked end I98 out of engagement with a lug or projection I99 upon the small block I 9| This, therefore, permits the larger block I89 to act independently of the smaller block I9I. The same 20 is true at the left hand portion of the toe with respect to the larger block I88 and the smaller block I98.

The construction is such that when the knitting of the toe narrowings is to commence, both the large'block and the small block of each unit go down with the narrowing frame together and take stitches from the fabric and transfer them one stitch inward. Then as the narrowing frame rises to its upper position the screw shaft is given a backward movement by a hook substantially like that shown at 46 in the Howie and Krieble patent by which backward movement of the shaft the two large blocks I88 and I89 will be moved outward but will leave the smaller blocks. I90, I9I undisturbed. In the second course, therefore, upon the descent of all the narrowing blocks, the smaller blocks I90, I9I, although they take stitches, do not transfer them, because the said smaller blocks have not received any transverse movement. The larger bloc-ks I88, I89, however, have received a transverse movement from the said threads I85, I86, and therefore transfer stitches one needle, laterally inward. In such transferring action, each of the larger blocks is thenbrought into contact with the smaller blocks and upon the next course each large and corresponding small block go down as a. unit and take up all the stitches which are thus laterally transferred one stitch inward. Upon the fourth course the action is the same as upon the second course, and so on in alternate courses through out the narrowing of the toe.

In the operation of the machine, and supposing that the legs are being knitted; when the leg narrowings are to he formed, the two blocks of each group of points are connected together by the locking lever I95 to move as one body. After through a lever 43g and a band He substantially as in the Howie Patent 1,982,991, the movement being communicated from the spring drum'fl' operated by the band through pawl and ratchet means I, a and gearing to the screw shaft. The pawl is controlled by a pivoted shutter or chield a which in turn is controlled through a quadrant a'I carrying an arm with a roller or projection c thereon. This arm has a spring which holds the'shield normally in position to allow the pawl which turns the shaft for narrowing to perform its function by engaging its ratchet for the narrowing operation. There is also a reversing pawl 44]" for giving a reverse movement to the screw shaft for widening, said pawl beingcarrled by a spring drum 44a: operated in the reverse direction from the drum first mentioned by a second band He, this band also being operated from the lever 439 from the cam on the main shaft. The shutter or shield, above mentioned. also controls this reversing pawl, and for this purpose the shutter is operated to shield the pawl first mentioned and to release the reverse pawl. This operation is performed by the roller on the arm of the quadrant contacting an abutment 3:, which is set in position by a rod d from a cam not shown located on the controller shaft b of the Howie et al. patent above mentioned. When the reverse pawl is thrown into action by the withdrawal of the shield or shutter, the screw shaft I84 is given a reverse movementfor widening in order toform the heel, the members of the pairs of blocks at each side of the fabric remaining connected by the lever I95. When the narrowing points are being moved inwardly to position them for toe narrowing the locking lever I95 comes into contact with the plate I93 and the operation set out above takes place, that is, the said lever is moved to disconnect the main and the supplemental blocks, and the toe narrowings are then introduced.

In performing the toe narrowings for a regular stocking, i. e. one without warp threads, the upward movement of the narrowing frame causes the retrograde pawl 46 (Howie et al. Patent 1,982,991) to retract the large narrowing block away from its small companion block one needle space. In transferring the stitches for narrowing the large block is moved two needle spaces inwardly, thus pushing the smaller block one needle space. When the narrowing frame again rises the large block is moved outwardly one needle space and then inwardly two needle.

spaces again pushing the small block one needle space and-these actions are repeated on every,

transferred one needle.

The back screw shaft is controlled by pawl and ratchet and shutter means substantially like that described for the front screw shaft.

Reverting to the operation of pawl or hook 48, this may be controlled from the controller shaft b of the Howie and Krieble patent by a suitable cam on said shaft and a connection leading therefrom to said book. The means illustrated in the Howie and Kricb le patent, however, consists of a shaft 46c Fig. 1 and parts associated therewith, and means similar to this last mentioned mechanism may be used in the present machine.

Reverting to the locking levers I for automatically connecting the large and small transfer point carrier blocks together it will be understood that these may be operated to effect this automatic locking in any suitable way such as -in the Wildman marketed form of machine. A spring stresses the locking lever to re-engage the shoulder or projection on the small block, and this spring may be coiled about the pivot of the lever.

The relation between the parts is such that when the lever I95 is down at that end I98 which is to engage the small block, said block will be closed edge to edge against-the larger block. When the lever at its end I98 is raised by its opposite end I91 riding under the rail I93 on the fixed frame, it will allow independent movement of the large block in relation to the small block because there will be space between the side of the end I98 of the lever and the side of the shoulder on the small block. The engaging end I98 of said lever, however, will not lift above the level of the shoulder I99 on the small block, so that when the large block is moved to starting position i. e. towards the right in Fig. 5a it will carry the small block with it,

though said small block will be spaced apart slightly from the large block. When the large block is moved to position for narrowing it will close against the small block and the locking lever I95 will assume its locking position under the action of its spring as in Fig. 4, so that the two groups of transfer points will then move as one body for performing either narrowing of the leg or widening of the heel.

While the invention is applicable to full fashioned machines of the Wildman type. one example of which is noted above, it will be understood that it is not limited in its use to any particular machine, nor to the character of the knit fabric, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Narrowing mechanism for fiat knitting machines comprising at each side of the fabric an inner and an outer comb of fashioning points,

and means for locking together the combs at each side whereby they will have conjoint motion, including a lever having a pivotal connection with one of the combs and having a portion for engaging with a part of the other comb to, prevent separation of the combs, said lever being pivotable to a position which will permit separation of the combs.

2. Narrowing mechanism for fiat knitting machines comprising at each side of the fabric an inner and an outer comb of fashioning points, and means for locking together the combs at each side whereby they will have conjoint motion, including a hook-shaped lever having a pivotal connection with one of the combs, and, on the other comb, a projection providing a shoulder against which the hook-shaped lever bears to prevent separation of the combs, said lever being pivotable to a position which removes its hooked portion from said shoulder and permits separation or the, combs.

3. Narrowing mechanism for flat knitting machines comprising at each side of the fabric an inner and outer comb of narrowing points, means nection with one of the combs, and having a portion for engaging with a part of the other comb to prevent separation of the combs, and means including a cam member supported on the machine at a point .along the path of travel of the combs, and a member carried by one of the combs to engage with said cam member as the combs move inwardly of the fabric, and

thereby pivot said lever to a position which will permit separation of the combs.

4. Narrowing mechanism for fiat knitting machines comprising at' each side of the fabric an inner and .an outer comb of narrowing points, one of said combs having a projection providing a shoulder, a lever having a pivotal connection to the other comb, and having a hooked portion to bear against said shoulder to thereby prevent separation of the combs, a cam member supported on the machine at a point along' the path of travel of the combs,

and said lever including an extension which engages with said cam member as the combs move inwardly of the fabric, and pivots the lever to a position which permits separation of the combs.

- I KENNETH HOWIE. 

